Working in a private company in Istanbul and returning to Aydın to her family after getting bored of city life, 32-year-old Vildan Uğurlu pursued her dream of farming and found peace in agriculture.
Uğurlu, whose life changed with the “Pitaya in the Land of Efeler” project that she came across in 2020, said that she chose soil instead of closed areas made of concrete and that she is very happy.
Living in the rural Gölhisar Neighborhood of Aydın ‘s Efeler district, 32-year-old Uğurlu has not been able to separate herself from the land she grew up in since her childhood.
She graduated from Istanbul Yeditepe University’s International Logistics and Transportation department, worked in the logistics department of a company in Istanbul for 2 years. Bored with the intense tempo of metropolitan life and realizing that she was confined within concrete structures and longing for land, Uğurlu decided to become a farmer.
Deciding to return to her family who were engaged in farming, Uğurlu initially considered doing livestock farming, but when she came across the state-supported “Pitaya in Efeler Land” project, she gave her life a new direction.
Uğurlu, who joined the project to grow the tropical pitaya fruit, also known as dragon fruit, in Aydın’s fertile lands, turned her farming dream into reality and found peace in agriculture.Vildan, who explained that she was one of the first pitaya producers in Aydın and that she initially entered this business without knowing how to make it or who to market it to, said, “After graduating, I worked in the logistics department of the private sector for 2 years. I had a very good job and career. Air-conditioned environment, very comfortable conditions, a good salary, I have private insurance.
“Everything is very good but you are not comfortable. There is a lot of hustle and bustle there and you always feel like you are closed. You live in concrete. My family is from here. I am also a farmer born and raised. We grew up farming.
“Later, I decided why I should resign and go back to my village, produce it myself and live with the soil. When I first came, I actually had no idea what I was going to do. I didn’t come back thinking I was going to do this or that.”
She heard about the Pitaya project and has never looked back. She and her family started research, went to İzmir and Muğla to visit different greenhouses. Then, there was a grant project support for 1 acre from their former district governor.
“We decided to get into this business with his support. I am actually one of the first to grow this product in Aydın. We had no idea about who we would market this product to, how it would be marketed, who would eat it,” she said. “Our trees have reached full maturity.”
Stating that she expects to harvest at full capacity this year, Uğurlu said, “We planted our first fruits in November 2020. We are now in our fourth year. We had two harvest periods. We will have the third one this year. We could not get much product in the first 2 years. Hopefully, I will get a product at full capacity this year. I am thinking of obtaining a product close to 1,500 tons.
She added: “I can look at things from a broader perspective instead of closed ones. I can see how we can do it more consciously now. I also took the university entrance exam again right now. I am normally doing this job as a self-taught person. Since my family is farmers, I was doing it with their knowledge.”
“I definitely did not feel any regret after returning here. In fact, it is looked upon as something. Generally, if you have studied, have a desk job under air conditioning, you are held in high esteem here. In our country in general, even farming seems a bit lower class, but I am incredibly happy. I am trying to encourage my female friends around me in this regard. If you have the opportunity, take care of your land and never stop producing.”